Mitel (Nasdaq:MITL), a leading provider of Unified Communications (UC) software solutions, today announced the availability of release 5.0 of the Mitel 5000 Communications Platform (CP). Designed for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with up to 250 users, the enhancements to the 5000 CP deliver enhanced mobility support, increased ease-of-use for the end user, and simplified, centralized management for IT. For more information on the the 5000 CP visit http://bit.ly/mitel5000cp.

"SMB customers want a cost-effective communications system that is easy to deploy, use, and manage without sacrificing access to advanced business applications," said Mitel's Stephen Beamish, vice president of marketing and business development. "We have designed the Mitel 5000 CP with these specific needs in mind. The new enhancements reduce cost and complexity by introducing more embedded UC applications, extending mobility functionality, and providing simplicity both at the IT and end user level."

The enhancements to the 5000 CP deliver enhanced mobility support — a critical element for any SMB. In fact, a recent Frost & Sullivan survey of businesses on enterprise communications cited that over 50 percent use a mobile extension capability within their company.

In addition, the Mitel 5000 CP (release 5.0) includes the following new and enhanced capabilities:

Embedded Applications

Meet-Me Conferencing is now an embedded function providing eight-party conferences with the capacity to host 20 conferences simultaneously.

Basic embedded voicemail has been enhanced to now offer complete Unified Voice Messaging with bidirectional synchronization of voice messages with email, including Microsoft® Exchange and Lotus Notes®, meaning users only have to process a message once, regardless of how they access it.

Cost-Effective Mobility

Dynamic Extension Express, that provides single number support and calling capability between a user's desktop and mobile devices, has been enhanced to allow up to 10 associated devices within a group. It also delivers Message Waiting Indication and hand-off push and pull for all devices.

Embedded hotdesking provides the ability for users to log in to any phone and have access to their personal communications settings as if they were at their own desk.

New Embedded Reporting capabilities have been added to the System Administration and Diagnostics client which provide a rich interface for graphical representation and quick filtering of system data and metrics.

The System Open Architecture Interface (OAI) Toolkit has been enhanced to enable more transparent integration with third-party applications, such as those developed by members of Mitel Solutions Alliance (MSA).

Builders' Hardware, one of the largest privately held architectural distribution companies in the US, selected the Mitel 5000 CP to network its offices in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and extend UC applications to staff located in the office, at home, and on the road. Builders' Hardware worked with Mitel authorizedPARTNER, Electronic Communication Services, Inc. (E.C.S.) to deploy the solution.

"We feel that by investing in innovative technology for our employees we are enabling them to be more successful in their jobs," said Chris Caravaglia, network administrator for Builder's Hardware. "The Mitel 5000 CP stood out from other communications solutions in the market because it comes equipped with the embedded UC applications that we need to help our employees collaborate effectively. Now we can easily set up call twinning, support teleworking, and have the flexibility to adapt as our communications need grow — all at a competitive price."

The 5000 CP enables SMBs to leverage their existing Mitel infrastructure, be it TDM or IP, to provide full IP telephony integration and rich UC functionality. The 5000 CP accomplishes this by offering a dual digital / IP communications architecture. This allows businesses to network geographically-dispersed employees and locations, whether they are connecting over a data network, or deploying digital, IP, or mobile phones to employees.